After the War
by SasuSakuFan1
Summary: The first time they met was an accident. Sasuke never mentioned where he would be traveling to next in his letters to Sakura. There was no way for him to know for sure which town, if any, he would be in by the time she received his mail. For the same reason, Sakura never wrote back to Sasuke to tell him what she was up to, back in Konoha or otherwise.
1. Chapter 1

The first time they met was an accident. Sasuke never mentioned where he would be traveling to next in his letters to Sakura. There was no way for him to know for sure which town, if any, he would be in by the time she received his mail. For the same reason, Sakura never wrote back to Sasuke to tell him what she was up to, back in Konoha or otherwise.

So as it were, the first time they met must have been an accident. Or perhaps luck… or something more.

Sasuke had just arrived at the outskirts of Tonerumura, a village in the Land of Earth, after traveling for a few days without much sign of civilization. Tonerumura was nestled in a valley, surrounded by mountains on all sides. The location, Sasuke thought, was obviously a defensive strategy put into place when the town was developed. A time long before the Fourth War and what was now being called the "Time of Peace" that followed.

Initially it had unnerved Sasuke at how easily he was able to enter the villages he passed through during his travels. He was not used to people being so trusting of strangers, and the guilt he carried for his past sins always grew heavier as he was welcomed into the town. The people didn't know that they were openly allowing a man who was once a monster into their homes. A man who could very easily destroy everything they held dear. A man, Sasuke worked to remind himself, he no longer was.

Initially it had unnerved Sasuke, but now, six months of traveling and hundreds of villages later, Sasuke was grateful for the new trust the Time of Peace had planted in the people. Especially since he was in need of a good meal and a better place to stay than the rocky mountain side which had been his bed the past few nights.

As Sasuke walked into the town, he nodded to a man in civilian attire who stood watch by the wall. He was probably part of the local militia group charged with keeping the peace within village, rather than protecting it from those outside. The man waved back with a small smile, and just like that Sasuke was received into his next temporary home. No questioning, no identification, nothing. Things were very different now.

The katana hidden beneath Sasuke's cloak was now only unsheathed to procure dinner or ready a campsite. It was no longer a weapon, but rather a tool, and Sasuke planned to keep it that way. He knew too well the damage he could cause with a simple flash of the blade, and even when using it to cut firewood he had to consciously hold back his strength. The katana, so familiar, was an extension of his limb, and a part of himself he didn't trust.

The village streets were alive with venders and shoppers. It was busy, but nothing like Konoha. Tonerumura was smaller. The buildings were less colorful, with awnings made out of some type of metal. In fact, it appeared as though some buildings in the distance were made completely of metal, Sasuke noted as he looked around. A few men wearing hard hats and the dirt and grime of a day's work walked down the road in front of Sasuke, and a few words floated back to him about a tunnel almost being finished in the south sector. Tonerumura was a mining town, Sasuke decided, lifting his eyes to the mountains rising up around the town.

Mining was dangerous work. So was being a shinobi, but while they were two different types of careers, the dangers were much the same. Sasuke had once felt that the only truly respectable profession was to become a shinobi, and anyone else who chose another path of life was cowardly or weak. His new view of the world, however, had changed that. As he drifted from town to town, he was beginning to understand how each person in the community played an important role. This of course wasn't to say that Sasuke now placed grocers and inn keepers on a new pedestal, but he did respect them for working to support their village. Miners and shinobi both went to work, day after day, not knowing if it would be their last. If a tunnel collapsed or a colleague was killed on a mission, the work went on.

Sasuke brushed aside his thoughts for the time being, wanting instead to focus on finding food and lodging. He would have plenty of time to dwell on life matters later, but right now his stomach was calling for attention. It wasn't that Sasuke neglected to eat enough, but, more often than not, it was a growl from his stomach that reminded him that he had to eat.

Sasuke remembered back to Naruto's stomach always growling when Team 7 was just forming, and how he would chastise the blond for it. Now it was Sasuke's stomach always growling, but no one was there to give him a hard time. For a moment, Sasuke almost let himself admit that he missed having his teammates around, but a distraction left the sentiment unfinished.

It was a flash of pink that first caught Sasuke's attention, and before he could rationalize his suspicions, he was scanning the crowd again for its source. His gaze fell upon a woman holding up a length of pink fabric at one of the nearby carts, but it did not linger long. She was not the woman he had hoped to find. The pink fabric was just a tease, Sasuke thought dejectedly as he moved on down the street.

This was not the first time, though, that Sasuke had been fooled by something that reminded him of one of his old teammates. He had seen a dozen or so Naruto look-a-likes with obnoxiously bright hair, and had lately fallen victim to splashes of pink on a couple of occasions. In fact, he was really starting to hate the color pink. It was just uncommon enough that when he did see it, he immediately was reminded of…

_Sakura._

Sasuke had to shut his eyes for a moment to make sure he wasn't seeing things again, but when he opened them back up she was still there. Sakura Haruno. There was no mistaking it this time as he watched the kunoichi bid farewell to an unseen villager as she exited a shop, brown paper grocery bag in arm. Sasuke just watched as Sakura turned and began making her way down the street, growing farther from him by the second.

_What was she doing here? Was Naruto here too? Were they on a mission?_ Sasuke suddenly found himself trailing after Sakura, wanting to keep her in sight, but in no hurry to catch up to her. He didn't want to make his presence known, if he made it known at all, until he had more answers to his questions.

Team 7 had gone through too much to allow him to casually walk up to Sakura as if the past three or so years had never happened. He hadn't allowed her to come with him, again, and while he hoped his letters helped to curb some of the disappointment he knew Sakura felt, Sasuke didn't want to bring any unnecessary feelings to the surface. It would be good to see his teammates again, Sasuke could admit that much, and he knew that if Naruto and Sakura had the choice that they would want to see him… But still. Sasuke wasn't sure Team 7 was ready for a reunion yet.

.

.

.

Sasuke followed Sakura for about 15 minutes as she made her way through the village. A couple times he was afraid he had gotten too close because Sakura would suddenly stop, but it was always to look at a vendor's cart or return someone's greeting. Judging by the familiarity a few people showed towards Sakura, Sasuke gathered that she and Naruto had been in this town on a mission for at least a few days already. Sakura must have gone out to buy supplies while Naruto… Well, who knew what Naruto was up to.

Sasuke half smirked at the thought of the myriad of things Naruto would have been doing to cause trouble a few years ago, but he also reminded himself that Naruto had changed a lot since then and to be generous with his assumptions. Naruto was much more mature now. Sasuke knew that. Sasuke was proof of that. Without Naruto's faith in him…

Sakura turned down a smaller street, disappearing from view, so Sasuke didn't have to finish his thought. He made his way to the street corner, and casually looked down the road that Sakura had just disappeared down. It was a short street, but Sasuke was just in time to see the head of pink hair turn another corner. However, Sasuke didn't immediately follow. If he followed her now he would no longer have the cover of the main street's crowd. Sakura would surely be reaching her final destination soon, and Sasuke wasn't entirely sure he wanted to be that close to his old teammates. The temptation to see them would be stronger if he knew where they were staying. Of course, the temptation would be there as long as he was in the same village as them.

Short of leaving Tonerumura immediately, Sasuke knew there was no way to ensure that he avoided running into Naruto or Sakura. Perhaps it was best if he was in control of when the encounter happened, rather than leaving it to chance. Sasuke always preferred to have the element of surprise anyways. It allowed him to stay in control of his emotions. He could come off as aloof and let Naruto and Sakura be excited about seeing him.

Deciding that enough time had passed to put himself a safe distance behind Sakura, Sasuke made his way down the first street. He was immediately in a more residential part of the town, with apartment buildings lining both sides of the road. Konoha had a few main streets, but Tonerumura must have only had one long one. It was beginning to occur to Sasuke that Sakura most likely was not heading to a hotel, which would actually make meeting up with his teammates easier. Sasuke was never fond of public attention, which they would surely receive had they been staying in a hotel, so perhaps this was a prime opportunity for a reunion. The Uchiha was on the verge of convincing himself that he would make his presence known, when the decision was made for him.

Just as he rounded the second corner, Sasuke saw someone move towards him out of the corner of his eye. His hand reflexively shot out to prevent the attack, but the streak of pink dipped beneath his arm, coming up directly in front of him and hitting him with enough force to push him back against the building. Pinned in an instant, Sasuke was keenly aware of his assailant's grip on the front of his cloak, threatening to choke him if he put up a fight. He ignored the kunoichi's question as to why he was following her, as the corner of his mouth curved up into a crooked grin.

"Aa, Sakura." Sasuke replied simply as he looked down to meet two fiercely green eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

It took a few weeks for Sakura to fall back into a normal rhythm of life after Sasuke left Konoha. Though, "normal" was a relative term, for things after the war were nothing like "normal" had been before. So it took a few weeks for Sakura to fall into what was now a _new_ normal rhythm of life.

With Kakashi now the Hokage, Lady Tsunade had begun to oversee the running of Konoha's hospital, in between diplomatic trips to the the villages of the other Kages. When Tsunade was away from Konoha, however, Sakura stepped in as the de facto head of the hospital. She had at first been hesitant to accept the position, even if it was only temporary and for a few days at a time, but Lady Tsunade insisted that it would be good training for the future. Shizune was still serving as assistant to Hokage Kakashi, so Sakura was the logical choice to help at the hospital.

The long days overseeing the daily routines and medical treatments at the hospital, were only made longer by the little sleep Sakura got those first couple of weeks. She often found herself lying awake in bed thinking of Sasuke. While she tried not to dwell on his refusal to take her with him, it still stung a little. However, this time she was left behind with more hope than the first, even if it was just a little.

Gradually, Sakura's thoughts of Sasuke shifted from clinging to moments of the past, to wondering what he was doing in the present. _Where he was… What he had seen… Did he miss her?_ The last question often left Sakura feeling a little hollow inside. She wanted to believe that her former teammate missed her, even just a little, but she didn't cling to the hope the same way she would have a few years ago. Sasuke knew how she felt and where she stood. There was nothing more she could do, but to wait for him, and if he didn't miss her… Well, that's usually when Sakura would turn over and try to coax herself into sleep.

By the end of the first month after Sasuke's departure, Sakura no longer lost much sleep thinking about him. Sleep was a commodity too precious to waste, and her body required it whether she like it or not. By the time Sakura would get home from the hospital, sit down for dinner and go through the latest reports, she was ready for bed. Her life consisted of work, eat, sleep, repeat. Sakura did make sure to make time for Naruto of course a couple times a week, outside of his weekly physical therapy for his new arm, and her time spent with him was about as close to a social life as she had.

Sometimes the pair would talk about Sasuke, and sometimes they would talk about anything but. As usual, Naruto tried to take Sasuke's leaving in stride, pretending that it didn't bother him, but Sakura knew the truth. They both wished that Sasuke had stayed longer, or stayed for good. But they both also knew that Sasuke had to leave, for himself and Team 7. While in the end things had turned out okay for the three, there were still wounds that needed to heal, and sometimes a little distance was the best medicine.

When Sakura wasn't able to spend time with Naruto, she was comforted by the fact that he and Hinata had started to become closer. If Sakura trusted Naruto's wellbeing with anyone, it was Hinata. Naruto had helped her with the loss of Neji, and now she was helping to keep his mind off of the loss, while hopefully temporary, of Sasuke. Not that Sasuke was completely lost.

Every week or so, Sasuke made sure to send Naruto a letter. It was usually short, never more than a page, letting Naruto know that he was still alive. Sometimes Sasuke mentioned where he was, sometimes he didn't. Rarely did he comment on what he had been doing, but even so, Naruto was always excited to receive a letter. The blond of course shared each one he got with Sakura, which she was thankful for.

It was good to know that Sasuke was alright, but at the same time, Sakura was a little jealous that Sasuke would write to Naruto and not her. She of course never voiced this disappointment to Naruto, and would smile and listen intently as he would read what Sasuke wrote to her. However, the first time Sasuke did reference her, Sakura felt immense relief that he at least thought of her every once in a while.

"I am still alive, despite the stupid snow here," Naruto read to Sakura from one of Sasuke's letters one afternoon. "Caught a cold, but I am fine. Tell Sakura not to worry. I do not think I plan to stay here very long…"

Surprised to hear her name, Sakura had stopped listening to the rest of the letter, and nearly missed her mouth with her chopsticks. Sasuke must have known that Naruto would tell her what he wrote in his letters, and she smiled as she ate her ramen knowing this. Even if the letters were addressed to Naruto, they were still for both of them.

By the end of the second month since Sasuke's departure, Sakura's name had been mentioned a few more times in his letters. Mostly indirectly like the first time, but twice Sasuke addressed her directly- not that she was keeping count. The first time had been more for the purpose of making a dig at Naruto, asking her to make sure Naruto wasn't saving the letters in a hidden wood box or anything like some creeper- though those weren't Sasuke's exact words. Naruto hadn't initially shared that part with Sakura, but she got a good laugh out of giving him a hard time for it when she got a chance to read the letter herself. Sasuke did have some capacity for humor at least, which was good to know.

The second time was when Sasuke addressed the letter to both Naruto and Sakura. It was the longest letter he had written up to that point, and while most of it still seemed to be written to Naruto for the most part, Sakura appreciated her inclusion in the "To:" line. Sasuke mentioned in the letter that he had recently passed through an area where Team 7 had gone on a mission, and that Naruto, and to a lesser extent, Team 7 as a whole, was still remembered.

The uncharacteristic nostalgia of Sasuke's letter had left Naruto and Sakura quieter than usual once Naruto had finished reading, as the two were both lost in the same memory. Naruto tried to lighten the mood a little with a boastful comment about how he was still famous in that town, which garnered a little chuckle from Sakura as she reminded Naruto that he was now famous everywhere.

All in all, Sakura had grown content with the occasional mention in Sasuke's letters, knowing better than to expect too much from her dark-haired teammate. This, then, made it that much more surprising when Sakura found a letter in Sasuke's writing waiting in her mailbox one evening. Initially, she had suspected that Naruto had just put it in there for her to read, but it was her address that was plainly written on the envelope.

Sakura had been so taken aback and nervous when she read the letter the first time, that she hardly comprehended any of what was scrawled out on the paper. A second read through was needed, and then a third… and by the end of the night Sakura had practically burned a hole through the paper from reading the letter so many times that she had practically memorized it. It was short and simple, but meant more to Sakura than all of the letters before it combined.

"Sakura,

I could tell Naruto to thank you, but it is just easier to do it this way. I used some of the medicine you sent with me. Not for myself- I am not ill or injured- but for the son of a family I met. He is doing a lot better now and the family asked me to pass along their gratitude to you.

Tell Naruto that this counts as my letter for the week. If he complains, just have him read the last one again. Not much has changed since then.

Thank you Sakura.

Sasuke"

When Sakura told Naruto about the letter, Sasuke was right. Naruto did whine a little about not getting a letter, and it was his turn to be jealous of Sakura. Sakura knew her single letter was not much compared to the then dozen Naruto had received, but it was nice to be the envied and not the envious for once. However, once then became twice when another letter was sent to her… and then another after that.

At first it seemed like Sasuke had decided to just mail the letter to Sakura instead of Naruto since the letters were general enough to be to both of them. Sasuke had even made a comment that he didn't want Naruto's head to get too big and that he probably already had enough fan mail to deal with. But gradually, and to the secret satisfaction of Sakura, the letters increasingly became directed to her until finally, both Sakura and Naruto received separate letters from Sasuke.

Naruto had come over to Sakura's one day waving his letter proudly, obviously pleased that Sasuke had gone back to writing to him. Sakura tried to hide her disappointment as Naruto read the letter, and spent the rest of the day dwelling the meaning of Sasuke's choice to send Naruto a letter instead of her. Admittedly, Sakura had allowed herself to begin hoping that Sasuke's letters to her were a sign of progress- that maybe he did actually miss her- but now she was starting to fear she had been making more out of something than it actually was. After all, it was just a…

_Letter_.

After two days of avoiding her mailbox, Sakura had finally decided to check it for her rent bill, but instead of a bill, there sitting in her mailbox, was the ignored envelope with the ever-familiar scrawl. To say that Sakura's relief was immense, would be an understatement. Sasuke had not forgotten about her. He still cared, maybe.

After that point, every time Naruto would inform her that he got a letter from Sasuke, Sakura would check her own mailbox to find one waiting for her. Naruto continued to read his to Sakura, but Sakura decided not to tell him about her own letters. It made Naruto happy to think that Sasuke had gone back to being his pen pal, and Sakura didn't mind keeping her letters private.

Eventually, however, Sakura became less and less interested in what Naruto's letters said, and he took the hint and stopped sharing them with her. Naruto assumed Sakura's lack of enthusiasm was due to hurt feelings of no longer being written to, and he didn't want to make her feel any worse. If she didn't want to know what Sasuke wrote anymore, there were no hard feelings on Naruto's part. Instead, he would just give her a general heads up that Sasuke was alive, and left it at that.

Things seemed to be falling back into place in Konoha as the village celebrated the half-year anniversary of the end of the war. A festival was held both to remember those who gave their lives and to celebrate the new time of peace the war had brought. Everyone was, more or less, happy. Even Sakura.

Kakashi had begun to assign teams to missions again, mostly diplomatic or low ranking ones, which gave the shinobi, who were becoming a little restless with the lull, new energy. Sakura, Naruto, and Sai were sent to Suna a couple times to meet with Gaara and aid in the development of new medical techniques, as well as, on a few low profile missions to deal with the occasional business tycoon trying to take advantage of a smaller village. Nothing terribly difficult, considering, but enough to get the modified Team 7 back in the field.

As happy as Sakura was in Konoha, a month or so after the festival Kakashi and Tsunade informed her that she was needed elsewhere. A village in the Land of Earth called Tonerumura was in need of a better hospital, and Sakura was tasked with heading its development. It would be a long term mission, lasting as long as it took for Sakura to get the medics of Tonerumura headed in the right direction and capable of sustaining a modern hospital.

Naruto was less than thrilled to hear that he would be left behind in Konoha while Sakura was away, but Sakura appeased him by promising to write and reminding him that Hinata would be around to keep him company. So with a week's worth of preparation, and a bag full of scrolls and medical papers, Sakura departed. Naruto and Sai saw her off at the gate, and the two were left to watch another member of Team 7 walk away from Konoha.

.

.

.

"Thank you! I will be sure to try that recipe," Sakura called back to the grocer as she left his shop. She shifted the brown paper grocery bag in her arm to keep the contents from spilling out, before beginning to walk down the street of Tonerumura. Sakura smiled to herself, pleased with the meals she planned to make the coming week, excited to try another one of the local recipes.

It had been three weeks since Sakura arrived in Tonerumura, and she had begun to settle in nicely. The people were grateful for her help with the hospital, and eager to make her stay comfortable. Tonerumura was no Konoha, but it suited her just fine for now. It was nice to be in a town that didn't hold so many memories for a while. A town where she was just Sakura Haruno, the medic who was there to save the hospital. A few villagers knew her from the war, but they were in the minority and made sure not to make too big a deal of the events in the past.

Perhaps the only thing that really bothered Sakura about being away from Konoha was that she no longer received letters from Sasuke. Though it wasn't like he was expecting a letter back. He would continue to write whether she read the letters or not, and it didn't matter when she read the letters either. They would have just about as much meaning when she got back as they would now, but still, it was a part of her week that she missed.

Sakura had begun to get lost in her thoughts about Sasuke, when she got the sensation that she was being watched. Something was off, and Sakura couldn't quite place what it was. Slowing down a bit as she walked, Sakura tried to catch anything out of the ordinary out of her peripherals, but came up short. Perhaps it was just her imagination, she told herself. There was no reason for her to be alarmed, she didn't have any enemies in Tonerumura.

Just to be safe though, Sakura employed a new strategy, pausing every now and then to look at a cart, or talk to someone she recognized from the hospital. With each stop, Sakura casually observed her surroundings, looking for anything out of the ordinary or any repeating factor. By the third time she stopped to say hello, Sakura's suspicions had been confirmed. There was indeed someone following her. Who, she did not know. The man was too far behind her for Sakura to properly observe without tipping him off that he was on to him.

Sakura wasn't sure if she was more annoyed or intrigued by her follower, but she definitely planned to find out why she was of interest to him. Turning off of the main street, Sakura began her plan. After another turn down an alley way, Sakura stopped, setting her grocery bag on a ledge to free her hands as she waited for the man.

Initially she merely planned to confront him verbally, and give him the benefit of the doubt that he wasn't up to no good. She didn't want to jump to conclusions if it was just a curious villager, but she also wasn't naive. If the man did have other intentions, Sakura was sure that she could easily handle herself. Sakura waited for a few moments, and then a few moments more just in case. Surely if the man planned to follow her into the alleyway, he'd have already shown up.

Perhaps it was just her imagination after all, Sakura decided after there was no sign of the man. A little relieved, if not a bit disappointed, Sakura picked up her grocery bag again. She had to get home soon and put the perishables in the fridge before another shopping trip was needed. However, just as Sakura was about to continue on her way home, the kunoichi heard someone coming around the corner and her reflexes kicked in before she had time to think.

The same man who had been following her earlier appeared around the corner, and Sakura darted into action. Grocery bag still in hand, Sakura flew at him with her attack. She saw his arm strike out defensively, obviously caught off guard, but she easily slipped beneath it. Pushing off the ground with her feet, Sakura used her momentum to force the man back against the building wall as she collided with him, pinning him there. Sakura had no intentions of hurting him until she had more information, if she had a single punch would have been all it would have taken. No, right now she just wanted answers.

"Why are you following me?" Sakura asked firmly as she gripped the front of the man's cloak to keep him in place.

It was only now that Sakura really got a good look at her pursuant, and even then it wasn't until her glare met his gaze that she realized who she had pinned against the wall.

"Aa, Sakura." Sasuke stated cooly, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth as he stared back down at her.


	3. Chapter 3

Sasuke watched Sakura's eyes widen upon recognizing him, and he reflexively moved his hand to catch the bottom of the grocery bag that began to slip out of her arm.

"Sasuke-kun…?" Sakura uttered slowly, her heart beginning to race. He was here. In front of her. Sasuke was in Tonerumura.

Sasuke's head tipped to the side slightly, his mismatched eyes briefly leaving Sakura's as he glanced down at her hand still tightly clenching his cloak. Looking back up to Sakura, he silently raised an eyebrow in amusement. Taking the hint, Sakura inhaled sharply as she came back to her senses and quickly released her hold on Sasuke.

"Oh, uh, sorry…" Sakura apologized, stepping back from her onyx-haired teammate, thankful that she hadn't approached the situation with force. "I thought someone was following me."

"I was following you." Sasuke replied simply, adjusting the front of his cloak a little as he stood up off the wall he'd been pushed against.

Sakura waited for a moment for Sasuke to say more, but when it became clear that he wasn't going to, she had to fill the silence. It's not like Sakura expected Sasuke to carry a conversation, ever, but since he was the one who had sought her out, it would have been nice if he could manage more than four words.

"How long have you been here?" Sakura asked, suddenly worried that Sasuke had been in town for a while without her knowing. A follow up question to her first was how long Sasuke had been following her. For the sake of her dignity and integrity as a shinobi, Sakura hoped it hadn't been long.

"Just arrived." Sasuke replied, trying to read Sakura's expressions. For the most part she held her composure well, but subtle nuances tipped him off to what she was thinking. "And you?"

"I've been here for almost a month now."

"And Naruto?" Sasuke asked without trying to seem too interested, though Sakura almost thought she detected a little expectance in his voice.

"It's just me," She replied. "Naruto's back in Konoha."

"Oh."

Sakura could hear the disappointment in Sasuke's voice, even if she couldn't read it in his eyes, and it stung a little. He had been hoping to see Naruto. Of course he had. Sasuke and Naruto shared a bond that she never would be able to fully understand or be a part of. It was something that she was just going to have to accept.

"Sorry."

Sasuke's brow furrowed a little, troubled by Sakura's apology. Sakura glanced away for a moment, and busied herself with shifting the contents of her grocery bag that were beginning to become unsettled. There was another awkward pause, but this time Sasuke broke it.

"I'm surprised he let you go without him." Sasuke stated, trying to fix his mistake. "I thought you two were inseparable…"

Sakura laughed. Sasuke took that as a good sign.

"He wasn't terribly pleased to be left behind, but he got over it." Sakura replied, accepting Sasuke's attempt at explaining his disappointment.

Sakura supposed that she and Naruto would seem inseparable to Sasuke since every time they had crossed paths with him they were together. Sakura also knew that Sasuke was alluding to Naruto's crush on her, which the blond had never been shy to hide when they were younger. However, things were different now, and while she and Naruto were close, inseparable was not a term she would use to describe their relationship.

"You know Naruto, he always wants to be included in everything. He would have been just as upset if Sai had been sent here instead I think." Sakura continued, hoping that Sasuke would understand what she meant. "Well, maybe not Sai… I can't even imagine those two being left on a mission together for so long." Sakura corrected, laughing a little.

Sasuke wasn't really sure why leaving Naruto and Sai on a mission together would be a bad thing, or why the idea made Sakura laugh, but he didn't ask for clarification. There was a lot that he had missed, and Sasuke found it easier to just play along with things that didn't deem to be crucial to his understanding. All Sasuke needed to know about Sai was that he had replaced him on Team 7, as if that was even possible, and that he wasn't really a fan of Sai.

Sakura glanced up to see Sasuke's blank face, and she let her laughter fade away, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear a little awkwardly. "Sorry, I-"

"You changed your hair."

Sakura blinked, caught off guard by Sasuke's statement. "Oh, yeah I did." She smiled, her hand returning nervously to her pink locks and tugging on them self-consciously. "Do you like it?" Sakura asked before she could stop herself, instantly regretting the question. She felt like a twelve year old again, growing out her hair because she thought that Sasuke preferred girls with long hair. "I mean, I mostly work at the hospital now so I thought that it would be best-"

"It suits you." Sasuke replied, interrupting Sakura's sputtering before she continued on for too long.

Sakura glanced up at Sasuke, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Thanks Sasuke-kun." She said softly, allowing herself to appreciate what she considered to be Sasuke's version of a compliment.

Sasuke nodded in response, staring at her intently for a few seconds before a growling noise interrupted the moment.

"Was… was that your stomach?" Sakura asked, an almost bewildered expression on her face. When Sasuke just gave his familiar "hn" in response, Sakura grinned. "Let me make you dinner. I've learned a few new recipes that I've been anxious to share with people back home, so you can be my test subject." She smiled.

Sasuke opened his mouth to respond, but another growl from his stomach was response enough.

"Come on, we're not far from where I'm staying." Sakura decided, not giving Sasuke the opportunity to politely object.

With that, the pinkette turned and began walking in the direction of her apartment… and Sasuke followed silently.

.

.

.

"Since I'm here for a while, it didn't make sense to stay at an inn, so the village allowed me to stay in this apartment…" Sakura explained from the kitchen as she stood over the stove cooking. "At first I thought I was going to have to be here for at least a few months, but now I think things are starting to come together, and…"

Sakura continued to chat casually as she fixed dinner, while Sasuke watched her move around the kitchen from his seat at the small table. He didn't mind that Sakura did most of the talking. In fact, Sasuke preferred it that way. Majority of Sasuke's traveling had been spent alone in silence with only his thoughts for company, so the sound of Sakura's chatter was a nice change. Especially since he did not have to do much talking.

Every now and then, however, Sakura would ask a question, and Sasuke was obliged to respond. Luckily, most of Sakura's questions were easy to answer, which Sasuke figured was not accidental. Sakura hadn't pestered Sasuke about what he had been up to the past six months, only inquiring into his health and the general places he had gone. By the time dinner was finished, with only one batch of slightly overcooked noodles in the trash (which may or may not have been because Sasuke forgot to remind Sakura to take them off the stove like she had asked), Sakura had caught Sasuke up with all she had been doing in Konoha and the other general going-ons.

"Hope it's okay," Sakura said a little anxiously, setting a bowl in front of Sasuke before taking a seat across from him.

Sasuke half chuckled to himself at Sakura's concern about her cooking. He refrained from pointing out that most of his meals consisted of rice and whatever he could catch in the wild, so almost anything would be better than what he was used to. However, he was thankful that Sakura's cooking generally was good after taking a few bites, which meant that he wouldn't have to lie. Sasuke felt Sakura's eyes on him, waiting for his reaction. To appease her, Sasuke glanced up and gave Sakura a nod before taking another bite to prove that he approved of the meal. Satisfied, Sakura focussed on eating as well.

The conversation that had been relatively constant while Sakura cooked, fell silent, with only a few comments passing between Sakura and her dinner guest while they ate. Sakura was caught up processing the fact that Sasuke was sitting across from her having dinner, while Sasuke was busy digesting all of the updates Sakura had provided him with. Each, in turn, also took the opportunity to size the other up.

As Sasuke had already noted, Sakura's hairstyle had changed, and he wasn't lying when he said it suited her. Her hair was softer now, Sasuke observed while Sakura ate, which gave her a more mature and feminine appearance.

Though, Sasuke was quick to note, just because Sakura had adopted a more elegant look, didn't mean that her punches were any less lethal. If anything, her new appearance worked to her advantage, because it gave her an element of surprise. Looking at Sakura now, it wasn't immediately evident that she was a highly trained shinobi with super human strength. Well, it wasn't evident unless one knew that the small diamond now centered on her forehead was a strength of a hundred seal. Sakura sure had come a long way from the days in the academy…

Sasuke must have let his gaze linger on Sakura for too long, because she glanced up, catching his eye. Not wanting to seem too obvious, Sasuke held the eye contact for a moment longer than necessary, before returning his focus to his dinner, unaware of the warmth rushing to Sakura's cheeks.

Sakura took a small breath after Sasuke glanced back down to his bowl, letting her own gaze linger on him a little longer. His dark hair was beginning to grow out and his bangs now hung down in his face, hiding his eyes while he ate. His eyes… Sakura was still getting used to the mismatched dark grey-nearly black eye and his rinnegan. It was just another reminder of how Sasuke had changed.

Green eyes lingered to Sasuke's left side where she knew his damaged arm was hidden beneath his cloak. Tsunade had nearly finished creating an artificial arm for him, but Sasuke had left before it was complete. Back home Naruto was finishing up with his physical therapy for his new arm, and Sakura wondered if Sasuke would decide to accept the artificial arm if he returned.

_No_. Sakura told herself. Not _if_ Sasuke returned, but _when_ Sasuke returned. He was coming back to Konoha… eventually.

The clinging noise of Sasuke's spoon being set down in his empty bowl brought Sakura back from her thoughts.

"Oh… ugh, do you want more?" Sakura asked, glancing at Sasuke and starting to rise to get him some.

"No. I'm fine." Sasuke replied, stopping Sakura before she got up. "It was good, thanks." He added, pushing back his chair and getting up from the table to take his bowl to the kitchen.

Sakura watched Sasuke for a moment, before glancing down at her own bowl, which was only half eaten. Checking to make sure Sasuke wasn't looking, Sakura took a couple big bites trying to empty her bowl quickly.

Sasuke placed his bowl in the sink, glancing around at Sakura's kitchen. It was currently in a bit of disarray from having just prepared a meal, though Sasuke figured his being there also didn't help any. Despite keeping her cool relatively well, Sasuke had caught a tremor in Sakura's hand every now and then as she poured, and she was a little more scatterbrained than usual. Otherwise, Sasuke figured that Sakura kept things pretty tidy. Even if she was just staying here temporarily, she seemed to have everything in her kitchen organized.

Turning on the water, Sasuke rinsed out his bowl. He felt like he should probably do more in return for Sakura making him dinner, but he didn't want to start poking around her cupboards for the soap, and Sakura would be done eating soon enough.

"Please ignore the mess…" Sakura called from the table, cringing in her seat as she recalled the state she had left her kitchen in. Cramming in a last bite of her dinner, Sakura quickly got up and hurried into the kitchen. "Usually I'm not this-"

"It's fine." Sasuke interjected, once again preventing Sakura from saying too much. "I've seen Naruto's kitchen. This is clean in comparison." He added, moving to the side so Sakura could put her bowl away.

Sakura laughed as she stepped up to the sink, rinsing out her bowl before beginning to fill the sink with water to wash the rest of the dishes. "His whole apartment always looks like a tornado blew through." She agreed, moving about the space to gather the pots and bowls she had used to prepare dinner.

After finding himself in the way one too many times, Sasuke exited the kitchen and stood on the other side of the counter instead. He felt so out of place, but Sakura just fell back into her casual chatter to fill the silence that threatened to befall the room.

As Sasuke watched Sakura, he found himself envious of her. Envious of how easily should could find her way through things, or at least, how easy she made it look. Sasuke wasn't cruel enough to deprive Sakura the acknowledgement that things hadn't been hard for her too. He had been a major contributor to the trials Sakura had overcome after all. However, nonetheless, Sakura still found a way to be happy, to go on with life like nothing was wrong. Sasuke envied her for that.

Watching Sakura also reminded Sasuke that he still had a ways to go on his journey of redemption. He doubted he could ever be as free as Sakura was, he would always be held back by what he had done in the past, but he did want to loosen those chains… at least to the point that he didn't feel out of place with Sakura.

"Sakura, I should…" Sasuke began, his guilt beginning to over power his desire to stay.

Sakura turned to look at him, a disappointed expression in her eyes though her face remained neutral. She had been expecting this to come, Sasuke could tell.

"I know." Sakura replied with a nod, glancing back down at the dish she was cleaning.

Sasuke clenched his fist a little on the counter, wondering why his answer for everything was always to leave. He wasn't doing either of them any good by it, even if it did save himself the trouble of actually trying to find some normalcy in things.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura saw Sasuke move from his place at the counter and she let out a little sigh. She had at least hoped Sasuke would stay a little longer. For a few seconds she half expected to hear the sound of her door opening and shutting with Sasuke's departure, but she was caught off guard when she heard him move behind her instead.

Sakura reflexively turned to glance at Sasuke, all too familiar with the dangers of letting him sneak up from behind. Her eyes narrowed slightly, almost daring him to try something this time. The corner of Sasuke's mouth curved up a little at Sakura's response.

"Sakura, I should…" Sasuke repeated, his hand beginning to rise as he extended it out towards her. "… really help you with the dishes." He finished, reaching around Sakura for the towel that sat on the counter behind her. "I'll dry."

"…"

Sakura just stood there for a moment as Sasuke took the towel and moved to the side of the sink to be the dryer. Her heart had nearly stopped when she saw Sasuke's hand move at first, and she knew her expression had betrayed her. She wasn't really sure what she had expected, though after their last goodbye, probably something along the same lines… but Sakura definitely hadn't expected _this_.

"Oh, right!" Sakura replied finally, regaining her composure, and spinning back around to the sink. She made sure to keep her head tilted down so her hair would fall forward to hide the blush that now warmed her cheeks. "That _would_ be the _polite_ thing to do." She added a little sharply, trying to regain at least a little of the dignity she had lost.

Had Sakura not been so consumed with scrubbing a bowl nearly to the breaking point, she might have caught a glimpse of Sasuke's smirk. The look on Sakura's face had been too much for Sasuke to maintain his stoic exterior. He knew it was cruel of him to mess with her like that, but it was the only way that Sasuke could stay. After all, he couldn't be _too_ nice. Not yet.


End file.
